Heel retainers for open-heeled footwear

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a heel retainer for retaining a heel of a wearer on an open-heeled shoe or a closed-back shoe with a low counter. The heel retainer includes a pad having opposed first and second adhesive surfaces. The first adhesive surface is adapted to contact the heel of the wearer and the second adhesive surface is adapted to be detachably adhered to a heel area of a shoe sole. The first adhesive surface retains the heel of the wearer on the heel area of the shoe sole and reduces the possibility slippage during use, thereby providing more comfort and ease to the wearer. In one form, the heel retainer can be easily attached/removed to/from the shoe according to the needs of a wearer without adversely affecting the integrity of the shoe.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to footwear and more particularly to retaining devices for open-heeled footwear and closed-back footwear having a relatively low counter.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

In certain footwear designs, particularly open-heeled shoes and closed-back shoes with a low counter (the rear-most part of the shoe, at the back of the heel above the sole, which is rigid and provides support), slippage often occurs during use due to the lack of, or insufficient support for, the heel of a wearer. The slippage problem is significant in open-heeled footwear due to the absence of a shoe counter. It has been known to use a shoe retainer on the inner surface of the counter for increasing friction between the back of the heel of the wearer and the inner surface of the counter to help retain the feet of the wearer in the shoes. These type of retainers, however, cannot be used in open-heeled footwear due to the absence of a counter.

Some prior art shoe retainers are permanently secured to the shoes by shoe manufacturers and are thus an integral part of the shoes. As such, it is not possible to remove these types of shoe retainers after they become worn without damaging the shoes. Therefore, these types of shoe retainers do not allow a wearer to attach/remove the shoe retainers to/from the shoes according to the needs of the wearer.

SUMMARY

In one form, a heel retainer for retaining a heel of a wearer on an open-heeled shoe includes a pad. The pad includes opposed first and second adhesive surfaces. The first adhesive surface is adapted to contact the heel of the wearer and the second adhesive surface is adapted to be detachably adhered to the heel area of the shoe sole. The first adhesive surface retains the heel of the wearer on the heel area of the shoe sole during use.

In another form, an open-heeled shoe includes a shoe body and a pad. The shoe body includes a shoe sole having a heel area. The pad is disposed on the shoe sole proximate the heel area. The pad includes a first adhesive surface and an opposed second adhesive surface. The second adhesive surface is adhered to the heel area of the shoe sole. The first adhesive surface is adapted to contact the heel of a foot of a wearer such that the first adhesive surface retains the heel of the wearer on the heel area of the shoe sole during use.

In yet another form, a retaining system for retaining heels of a wearer on open-heeled shoes is provided. The retaining system includes a pair of pads including opposed first and second adhesive surfaces. The first adhesive surfaces are adapted to contact the heels of the wearer and the second adhesive surfaces are adapted to be detachably adhered to the heel areas of the shoe soles. The first adhesive surfaces retain the heels of the wearer on the heel areas of the shoe soles during use.

In still another form, a retainer for retaining a foot of a wearer on a shoe is provided, wherein the shoe includes a shoe sole extending along substantially the entire length of the shoe and a heel area. The retainer comprises a pad including opposed first and second adhesive surfaces, wherein the first adhesive surface is adapted to contact the foot of the wearer and the second adhesive surface is adapted to be detachably adhered to the shoe sole of the shoe. The first adhesive surface retains the foot of the wearer on the shoe sole during use. In one form, the pad is sized to cover the heel area, and in another form, the pad is sized to cover substantially the entire area of the shoe sole.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the certain embodiments of the disclosure, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is perspective view of an open-heeled shoe including a heel retainer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of a shoe having a closed-back with a relatively low counter and including a heel retainer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one form of a heel retainer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 a is a top view of the heel retainer of FIG. 3 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 a is a top view of another form of a heel retainer having a different geometry and constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate form of a heel retainer having peel-off labels, which are partially peeled, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a side view of another alternative form of a heel retainer having a variable thickness and constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a top view of a pair of closed-back shoes including a retaining system and constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Further, the terms “shoe” or “shoes” and “footwear” are used interchangeably throughout the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 2, a heel retainer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated and generally indicated by reference number 10. Generally, the heel retainer 10 is designed for use in open-heeled shoes 100 and also for use in closed-back shoes 200 having a relatively low counter 202, in order to provide increased stability to the foot of a wearer during use. The open-heeled shoes 100 and the closed-back shoes 200 generally include a shoe body 104/204, a shoe sole 106/206 extending along substantially the entire length of the shoe body 104/204, and a heel area 108/208 disposed proximate the heel 110/210 or rearward portion of the shoe body 104/204.

Referring to now FIGS. 3 to 5, the heel retainer 10 includes a pad or body 12, which in one form is a single-piece and defines a relatively constant thickness as shown. As used herein, the term “pad” is not intended to be limited to a cushionlike mass or a soft body and could be rigid or not soft while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The pad 12 may also be provided in a variety of shapes such as the curved or arcuate geometry as shown in FIG. 4 a, or in other geometries such as square or rectangular as shown in FIG. 4 b, or other polygonal shapes in accordance with the needs of the wearer. Preferably, the pad 12 is made of a soy-based material or a silicone gel material. For example, Scapa® brand silicone gels are available in a variety of breathable thermal co-polymer films and non-woven materials, such as the Bioflex® RX1267PLT-001. These materials are advantageous because they wash off with water and regain their adhesion when properly dried, and as such, they may be removed, cleaned, and reused. It should be understood that these materials are merely exemplary, and that other materials that meet the intended function of the heel retainer 10 as illustrated and described herein shall be construed to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the pad 12 includes an upper or first adhesive surface 14 adapted to contact a heel of the wearer (not shown) and a lower or second adhesive surface 16 adapted to be detachably adhered to the open-heeled shoe 100 or the closed-back shoe 200 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The open-heeled shoe 100 and the closed-back shoe 200 are shoes such as, by way of example, sandals, slippers, flip-flops, mules (FIG. 1), loafers, and three-quarter slip-ons (FIG. 2), among others.

The first adhesive surface 14 is adapted to be adhered to a heel of the wearer during use for retaining the heel of the wearer on the heel area 108/208 of the shoe sole 106/206. As such, the heel of the wearer is less prone to slipping away from the shoe 100/200 during use, and thus a more stable design is provided by the heel retainers 10 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

In one form, the first adhesive surface 14 includes a layer of first adhesive material 26 to provide the requisite amount of adhesiveness to retain the heel of the wearer if, for example, the pad 12 does not exhibit the requisite adhesive properties. Such a pad 12 may include, by way of example, foam, cork, and rubber, among others, and may be designed to provide the additional property of cushion to the heel of the wearer for even more improved comfort.

The second adhesive surface 16 is adapted to be attached to the shoe sole 106/206 proximate the heel area 108/208 and includes a layer of second adhesive material 28 in one form of the present disclosure. The second adhesive surface 16 has a higher adhesiveness than the first adhesive surface 14 and has sufficient adhesiveness so that when the wearer takes off the shoe 100/200, the second adhesive surface 16 retains the heel retainer 10 on the shoe 100/200. Moreover, the second adhesive surface 16 has an adhesiveness such that the pad 12 can be peeled off from the shoe sole 106/206 by simply using fingers without causing damage to the shoe sole 106/206. As such, the wearer can attach/remove the pad 12 to/from the shoe 100/200 according to their needs. Further, the wearer can also replace a used pad 12 with a new one when the old pad 12 has lost its adhesiveness and cannot effectively retain the heel of the wearer on the shoe 100/200 after repeated use. The wearer can also replace a used pad 12 with a new one when the old pad 12 has lost its cushion if the pad 12 is so provided as previously set forth. Preferably, the adhesiveness of the second adhesive surface 16 is such that when the pad 12 is removed from the shoe sole 106/206, the pad 12 does not adversely affect the integrity of the shoe 100/200. However, it should be understood that the pad 12 can be provided as an integral part of the shoe 100/200 rather than being replaceable while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

Generally, the adhesive materials 26 and 28 are preferably pressure-sensitive adhesives, or “PSAs.” PSAs can be defined as category of adhesives that in dry form are aggressive and permanently tacky at room temperature. PSAs will adhere to a variety of substrates when applied with pressure, do not require activation by water, heat, or solvents, and have sufficient cohesive strength to be handled with the fingers. The primary mode of bonding for a PSA is not chemical or mechanical but rather a polar attraction to the substrate, and always requires pressure to achieve sufficient wet-out onto the surface to provide adequate adhesion.

More specifically, the PSA for application to the present disclosure is an acrylic type adhesive or alternately a rubber-based adhesive. Formulated from acrylic polymers, acrylic PSAs offer resistance to solvents, UV light, elevated temperatures, plasticizers, chemical reagents, and sterilization methods. Acrylic adhesives tend to be more costly than rubber-based varieties, but provide better long-term aging and environmental resistance. Acrylic adhesives also demonstrate low to moderate initial tack and adhesion, and generally do not adhere well to low-surface-energy materials. Generally clear in color, acrylic PSAs can be made porous (breathable) and constitute the majority of adhesives suitable for use on human skin and are thus advantageous for use in the present disclosure.

To facilitate handling of the heel retainers 10, in one form the heel retainer 10 preferably includes a first peel-off label 30 on the first adhesive surface 14 and/or a second peel-off label 32 on the second adhesive surface 16. Therefore, it is easier to handle and package the heel retainers 10 and to preserve their adhesive qualities prior to use. As such, the wearer simply peels off the labels 30 and/or 32 and attaches the pad 12 onto the shoe sole 106/206 when ready for use.

In one form of the present disclosure, the pad 12 includes perforations 33, (also shown in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b), disposed along the pad 12, whether in the longitudinal, transverse, diagonal, or other predetermined direction(s). The perforations 33 are such that sections of the pad 12 can be removed from the overall pad 12 to adjust its size. Therefore, the size of the pad 12 can be adjusted according to the size of the shoe 100/200 or the heel of the wearer. Moreover, as previously set forth, the pad 12 may be integral (e.g., sewn in place, permanently bonded in place) with the actual shoe and thus be provided to the wearer without the wearer having to secure the pad 12 to the shoe.

Referring to FIG. 6, an alternate heel retainer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure is illustrated and generally indicated by reference number 10′. In the following, the like reference numbers are used to indicate like components as the previously described heel retainer 10. The heel retainer 10′ has a construction similar to the heel retainer 10′, differing only in that the heel retainer 10′ has a pad 12′ of a variable thickness. The variable thickness of the pad 12′ results in a tailored first adhesive surface 14′ and a tailored second adhesive surface 16′ in order to better conform to the contour of the heel of the wearer and/or the contour of the shoe sole 106/206. As a result, the pad 12′ disposed between the shoe soles 106/206 and the heels of the wearer would be more comfortable to the wearer.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a pair of closed-back shoes 200 is illustrated, (by way of example since the shoes may also be open-heeled shoes 100), to include a retaining system comprising a pair of pads 50. The pair of pads 50 are constructed and function as the previously illustrated and described pads 12 but are advantageously provided in a pair for more efficient packaging and more convenient purchasing. The pair of pads 50 may have substantially identical geometries as shown or different geometries (not shown) that are tailored to the shape of the heel of a wearer. Additionally, the pair of pads 50 may define decorative patterns 60 and/or decorative colors so that the pair of pads 50 may provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the shoes 100/200. Furthermore, the pair of pads 50 may comprise a material that is scented such that the shoes 100/200 are even more pleasing to the wearer and those in close proximity to the shoes 100/200. It should be understood that the decorative patterns 60, the colors, and the scented material may be provided with the individual pads 12 as previously illustrated and described while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. As such these features are not limited to the pair of pads 50 and can be employed with the pads 12 and 12′ as previously set forth.

It should be appreciated and understood that while the heel retainers 10, 10′, and 50 have been described to be attached to the heel area 108/208 of the shoe sole 106/206, they can be attached to any area other than the heel area 108/208, depending on the needs of the wearer. Moreover, the heel retainers 10,10′, and 50 can be made to be large enough to cover a substantial area of the shoe sole 106/206. As a result, a substantial area of the plantar area of the foot of the wearer can remain in contact with the shoe during walking or use, thereby improving the retaining effect of the teachings of the present disclosure.

With the construction of the heel retainers 10, 10′ and 50 described in the present disclosure, the foot of a wearer can have improved contact with the shoe sole 106/206 during walking or use, thereby providing improved comfort, safety, and ease of use to the wearer. Moreover, because the heel retainers 10, 10′, and 50 are in one form detachable from the shoe sole 106/206, the wearer can decide whether or not to use the heel retainers 10, 10′, and 50 according to his/her needs. Further, the construction of the heel retainers 10, 10′, and 50 makes it easier to carry and handle, and to apply the heel retainers 10, 10′ and 50 whenever the need arises.

It should be noted that the shoe retainers 10, 10′, and 50 described in the present disclosure may be used in a variety of shoes in addition to the specific shoes as illustrated and described. Accordingly, the description of the present disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although the pads 12 and 12′ are preferably a single-piece, they may be provided in the form of multiple pieces while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 

1. A heel retainer for retaining a heel of a wearer on an open-heeled shoe, the open-heeled shoe including a shoe sole having a heel area, the heel retainer comprising: a pad including opposed first and second adhesive surfaces, the first adhesive surface adapted to contact the heel of the wearer and the second adhesive surface adapted to be detachably adhered to the heel area of the shoe sole, the first adhesive surface retaining the heel of the wearer on the heel area of the shoe sole during use.
 2. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the pad further comprises a first peel-off label on the first adhesive surface and a second peel-off label on the second adhesive surface.
 3. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive surface has a higher adhesiveness than the first adhesive surface.
 4. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of a soy based material.
 5. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the pad is made of a silicone gel material.
 6. The heel retainer according to claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive material applied on the first adhesive surface, the adhesive material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive.
 7. The heel retainer according to claim 6, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is rubber-based.
 8. The heel retainer according to claim 1, further comprising a second adhesive material applied to the second adhesive surface, the second adhesive material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive.
 9. The heel retainer according to claim 8, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is rubber-based.
 10. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the pad defines a variable thickness.
 11. The heel retainer according to claim 1, wherein the pad defines a constant thickness.
 12. The heel retainer according to claim 1 further comprising perforations disposed along the pad such that the size of the pad is adjustable according to the size of the shoe.
 13. An open-heeled shoe comprising: a shoe body including a shoe sole having a heel area; and a pad disposed on the shoe sole proximate the heel area, the pad including a first adhesive surface that is adapted to contact the heel of a foot of a wearer such that the first adhesive surface retains the heel of the wearer on the heel area of the shoe sole during use.
 14. The shoe according to claim 13, wherein the pad is made of soy based material.
 15. The shoe according to claim 13, wherein the pad is made of a silicone gel based material.
 15. The shoe according to claim 13, wherein the pad is integral with the shoe body.
 16. The shoe according to claim 13, wherein the shoe is selected from a group consisting of sandals, slippers and flip-flops.
 17. A retaining system for retaining heels of a wearer on open-heeled shoes, the open-heeled shoes including shoe soles having heel areas, the retaining system comprising: a pair of pads including opposed first and second adhesive surfaces, the first adhesive surfaces adapted to contact the heels of the wearer and the second adhesive surfaces adapted to be detachably adhered to the heel areas of the shoe soles, the first adhesive surfaces retaining the heels of the wearer on the heel areas of the shoe soles during use.
 18. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads comprise single-piece pads.
 19. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads further comprise peel-off labels on the first adhesive surfaces and the second adhesive surfaces.
 20. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the second adhesive surfaces have higher adhesiveness than the first adhesive surfaces.
 21. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads define substantially identical geometries.
 22. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads define different geometries.
 23. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads defines a decorative pattern.
 24. The retaining system according to claim 17, wherein the pair of pads comprises a scented material.
 25. A retainer for retaining a foot of a wearer on a shoe, the shoe including a shoe sole extending along substantially the entire length of the shoe and a heel area, the retainer comprising: a pad including opposed first and second adhesive surfaces, the first adhesive surface adapted to contact the foot of the wearer and the second adhesive surface adapted to be detachably adhered to the shoe sole of the shoe, the first adhesive surface retaining the foot of the wearer on the shoe sole during use.
 26. The retainer according to claim 25, wherein the pad is sized to cover substantially the entire area of the shoe sole.
 27. The retainer according to claim 25, wherein the pad is sized to cover the heel area.
 28. The retaining system according to claim 25, wherein the pad defines a decorative pattern.
 29. The retaining system according to claim 25, wherein the pad comprises a scented material. 